The present invention relates generally to wall structures, and more particularly, to an easily constructed rail system for retaining a plurality of bathroom wall panels and attaching a handle bar or other accessories thereto.
In a typical shower stall or bathtub area in a bathroom, a substrate (e.g. drywall) is mounted to a plurality of studs, and tiles are adhesively secured to the drywall. In order to mount the drywall to the studs with conventional fasteners, the precise location of the studs must be ascertained from outside the drywall. The studs must also be located from outside the tiles in order to mount a handle bar or other accessories thereto. In addition, securing the tiles to the drywall tends to take a substantial amount of time.
Furthermore, accessories to be attached to such a wall structure must be configured with a mounting surface which can be aligned with the studs. However, the distance between the studs often varies depending on the requirements of a particular bathroom. To accommodate for this variance in stud location, the accessory mounting surfaces are typically extendible or oversized, which may be inconvenient, unsightly, costly, and less secure. It would also be costly and inconvenient to have a mounting surface custom-made according to the stud location in a particular bathroom. In addition, the location of an accessory in a bathroom having such a wall structure is restricted by the location of studs.
A number of prior art references relate to wall panel framing systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,044 (Bonnell), a system for securing panels to a wall is disclosed. The system includes vertical strips which secure side edges of the panels, and upper and lower horizontal strips which secure top and bottom edges of the panels. The strips are mounted to a wall and have longitudinal grooves therein for receiving the panels.
A paneling system for elevator cabs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. No. 3,458,963 (Klein). The Klein system includes vertical brackets mounted to the walls of an elevator cab. The brackets have channels therein which receive side edges of the wall panels.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,559 (Young), a raised paneling system is disclosed in which a plurality of panels are adhesively secured to a substrate. A horizontal chair rail divides panel sheets into upper and lower sections. The chair rail includes a downwardly extending channel which receives an upper edge of a lower chair rail base, and a panel molding member which receives the lower edge of the chair rail base.
A wall system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,339 (Paz) comprising a grid constructed of horizontal main support channels secured to a wall and vertical standards connected to the front of the channels. Side edge portions of the panels are mounted to support members which are secured to the standards. Top and bottom channels are also provided for securing top and bottom edge portions of the panels.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,013 (Haag), a preformed metal wall base includes a channel-shaped plaster supporting member which holds a lathing and wall finishing plaster. U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,997 to Tennison, Jr. discloses a channel-shaped bracing member that includes a multiplicity of openings so that the brace can be connected to studs.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,775,926 (Brown), 3,991,537 (Brown), and 4,196,552 (Bartlett), shock-absorbing rails are disclosed which are mounted to a wall for absorbing the impact from chairs or other moveable articles. Bathroom hand rail fixtures mounted directly to a bathroom wall are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,242,461 (Fisher) and 3,098,240 (Fleenor). In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,873,151 (Morris), 4,009,903 (Manspeaker), and 4,087,127 (Lotta), wall mounted seats are disclosed which are pivotable between a horizontal and vertical position.